ARC Feedback: The Good, The "But...", and the Duplicates

Part 1: The Pre-Meeting Jitters (and a Duplication Discovery!)

So, about two weeks ago, I took a deep breath and handed over my manuscript for "An Irish Mystery" to a trusted ARC reader. It's always a slightly nerve-wracking moment, putting your story into someone else's hands for that crucial fresh perspective.

The good news came relatively quickly – she sent me a message, and her exact words were that she "loved it!" As an author, hearing that is just fantastic, a real boost. But then, as is often the way, the good news was followed by a little "but"... in this case, "but I have made a few notes."

One of the first things she highlighted was that the book had repeated a conversation. My stomach did a little flip. A repeated conversation? How on earth had I missed something like that after all the times I've read through it? Where was it?

She clarified: it was a conversation that happened in a toilet scene and then, almost identically, again at a table. My mind started racing.

The first thing I did, obviously, was open up the PDF version I'd sent her. And there it was. Plain as day. That’s when it dawned on me exactly what had happened.

Right near the beginning of the book, there was a scene originally set at a table in a restaurant. (If you've read any early excerpts, this won't be a spoiler, as it's not really pivotal to the main plot.) I'd decided I wanted to change this particular scene to make it a little more dramatic. Having my character walk to the restroom with the two assailants following him in felt like a better fit, creating more tension than them just approaching him at the table where another character was present.

So, I'd asked my publisher to add this revised scene. And they did! But it seems there was a slight misunderstanding, because the original scene at the table wasn't deleted. And just as my sharp-eyed ARC reader pointed out, this meant the same essential conversation was now in there twice. Oops! It’s amazing what you can become blind to in your own work.

I'm writing this now, sitting on my sofa (and yes, thinking about what I might have for dinner later!), as I wait to head out to see my ARC reader. She only lives in the next town over, which is handy, so I'm going to meet her shortly to go over all the notes she's made.

This is just the first snippet of the story – what else has she found? How will the meeting go?

Part 2: The Aftermath & The Importance of Fresh Eyes

Well, I’m back home now after going through "An Irish Mystery" page by page with my ARC reader, and the meeting really hammered home just how important and invaluable their help is.

She had spotted things that I – and even previous editors – hadn't. Some were minor continuity details, but if not corrected, they could make parts of the story not make sense or just feel a bit off. For example, at the beginning of one chapter, I’d mentioned it was getting dark, then that it was night, but by the end of that same chapter, the sun was apparently setting again! It’s funny what slips through.

And then there are the repetitive habits you don’t realise you have. Over the course of about two chapters, it seems almost every door hinge "creaked," "groaned," or was "rusty" whenever a door was opened. I think I got a bit obsessed with noisy doors for a short while! These are the kinds of things you just don't see when you're too close to the manuscript.

The only thing that did get me a little bit frustrated was discovering that some of the mistakes had actually been returned by the editors, or perhaps even introduced during their process. One rather glaring example was finding one of my own editing instructions printed in the book at the end of a chapter! It was a note to myself and the publisher saying something along the lines of, "Delete this ending, it's too much." Well, they did delete the original ending as requested, but then somehow my instructional note got inserted into the text instead. You have to laugh sometimes!

So, yes, there are more edits to incorporate now. But honestly, it’s all good. Every catch, every correction, will only make the story stronger and the reading experience better. We're still hopeful that a June release date for "An Irish Mystery" will be possible.

And the best part? My ARC reader, who is retired and has read far more books in her life than I probably ever will, said that apart from these correctable mistakes, she truly loved the story and cannot wait for Book Two. That’s the kind of feedback that keeps you going!

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Part 3: Surprise! An Irish Mystery is (Almost) Here!

Well, hello again! I honestly wasn't planning on a Part 3 to this particular blog saga, but since I last wrote about the ARC feedback and edits, there’s been a rather exciting – and unexpected – development!

The big news is: my book, "An Irish Mystery," should be out by TOMORROW!

Yes, you read that right! After all the back and forth, correcting everything I wanted editing and then finally hitting "approve" on the latest proofs, my publisher got the files uploaded to KDP (that's Kindle Direct Publishing, for those unfamiliar). The book will be available as an e-book, a paperback, and even a hardback version, which I'm thrilled about.

Now, originally, we were looking at a release date of June 6th. However, there was a slight change of plans during the upload process, and the upshot is that instead of waiting until June, the book will go live as soon as it clears Amazon's review process. And that could be as early as tomorrow!

It’s all happened a bit quicker than anticipated in these final stages, but I'm certainly not complaining about an earlier release!

I’ll be keeping a very close eye on things, and as soon as it’s officially live and available to buy, I will be shouting it from the rooftops – well, at least sharing all the links across my social media sites (Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky – all the usual spots!) and, of course, on my website. So, if you want to be among the first to know, please make sure you're following me!

I absolutely can't wait for you all to finally be able to read it. This isn't the end of the journey by any means – now comes all the promotional activity, connecting with readers, and probably a whole lot more I haven't even thought of yet!

Wish me luck for a smooth launch!

   An Irish Mystery  - Out Now!

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